AFTER suffering three straight defeats, Hartlepool midfielder Joe Gamble has challenged his team-mates to finish the season on a high.

Pools travel to relegation-threatened Swindon today on the back of a disappointing few weeks which has seen Mick Wadsworth's side slip to 14th place in League One.

Their last away trip ended in disaster when 2-0 up at half-time, Pools crumbled to an embarrassing 5-2 defeat against relegation candidates Walsall.

And after last Friday's home defeat to Rochdale, Gamble says it is important the squad forget about the last three games and concentrate on finishing the season strongly.

Gamble admits there are some tired legs in the camp as the season reaches the final straight but believes the squad possess enough character not to let the season peter out.

"We can't just let the season peter out. We've got to end it on a high and build on it next year," the 29-year-old said.

"We don't want to be going to Swindon and Charlton looking for results, we want to enjoy the end of the season.

"If we had won on Friday we would have been looking to rotate the squad a bit more and give everyone a chance because it has been a tough old season.

"For me the lads are very good professionals and take a lot of pride in their play.

"I would be honest and say we had a bunch of wasters if we did, but we don't.

"We genuinely have a lot of good grafters who look after themselves and who go the next step above training, going to the gym for extra sessions, eating better. We are really good professionals and not the type to chuck it in basically.

"I've been with other players at clubs where they have chucked it in, but when you are on a feel-good factor you want more."

Keen to avoid a repeat of the display at Walsall, Gamble admits a thorough inquest has taken place between the players and manager.

The Irishman suggests the side has been guilty of sitting back when in front and believes they must learn not to take their foot off the pedal, or risk another result like the one at Walsall.

"Walsall was an absolute joke, a calamity. We were 2-0 up and cruising," the former Reading and Cork City man said.

"I suppose the biggest worry for us is that it has happened before. So what do we do? Do we keep drawing a line under it and say it is going to be okay, or do we knuckle down?

"All last week we did. We talked about it, had team meetings and went through the video.

"The players have got to take the responsibility. I think Rochdale was a bit different. It wasn't such a collapse.

"We were decent enough at certain stages but never really penetrated with a bit of quality or got at them like we have done at home in recent games.

"Mick said things in the changing room after Walsall that he was right to say.

"It wasn't as if we started the Walsall game 2-0 down, it was the opposite, which is the worst thing about it.

"I don't think the lads were in holiday mode, I really couldn't tell you what happened (at Walsall). It was a shambolic performance.

"Mick has said it before. We are at our best when we have our foot to the pedal.

"There is no game where we have been so-so or the opposition were poor.

"I can't think of one game that we have won that we haven't deserved, but if we don't have our foot to the pedal we can take a bit of a beating."